Villa Del Conte: A Life dipped in Chocolates

"The pleasure of tasting traditional, authentic Italian chocolates; the pleasure of being able to choose from a vast selection of rich flavors and exciting tastes; the pleasure of communicating friendship, love and affection; the pleasure of sharing a bite and sharing a moment- these are the pleasures that our products bring." - Villa del Conte

This post is not exactly-travel related but it is about one of the things that makes me happy lately: Villa del Conte chocolates. Mind you, these are not your ordinary chocolates. Villa del Conte has a history spanning three generations. 

Villa del Conte's origin is in a small town of Padova (Padua), a breathtaking and culturally rich region of Italy. Villa del Conte is actually one of Padova's charming municipalities.  Thanks to VDC, Padova is no longer only about renaissance art, architecture and St Anthony (The Catholic Patron Saints of lost and found objects). It has established itself as the home of the best makers of artisanal chocolates. Nazzareno Cattapan is the the man behind these confectionary masterpieces. The making of these chocolates was passed on from father to son for the past 75 years. Now, third generation cioccolato connoisseur Enrico Nazzareno Cattapan is the head of the operations of these chocolates. Expect nothing but premium ingredients (hand-picked cacao beans) and unique flavors with every bite.

Luckily, you don't have to go all the way to Italy to try these sweet treats. Villa del Conte was introduced to the Philippines by Filipino couple Vince and Rhoda Aldanese, two people I would now consider as my friends. They both met with the owners of Villa del Conte during one pilgrimage trip to San Antonio de Padua. With a holy intervention, they then came to agreement to brand it "Villa del Conte". The initial market would be Manila and the rest of the world will just follow. 

Villa del Conte's sumptuous cioccolatini includes Praline Balls, Praline Sticks, and Ovicini (Sugar-coated dark chocolate eggs with hazelnut cream filling). My favorites would be the milk chocolate with Blueberry filling and Watermelon Praline Sticks! I could eat these every single day. Other fillings are Cacao, Caramel, Macadamia, Hazelnut, etc. Villa del Conte is definitely one of the best tasting chocolates out there. Possibly the best.

Another striking thing that I love about Villa del Conte is the packaging. It shows the town square of Padova that will allow you to imagine this part of Italy. Villa del Conte can also customize packages for you that will be fit for any occasion. That's marketing genius!

Yes, it comes in blue too. You can even request for a small wooden box or crate if you have big events or parties.

This was taken at the flagship store in Resorts World Manila. Rhoda (2nd from left) and Vince Aldanese (3rd from left) glady brought us here after a dinner at their lovely home. 

If you haven't tried these chocolates yet, their stores are all over the metro! I am sure they will be an instant favorite. May your life be dipped in Chocolates. Tell me what you think.

Visit the Villa del Conte store at the:

3F Shangri-La Plaza Mall

2F, Greenbelt 5

Ground Floor, Resorts World Manila

3F, Trinoma

Website: www.villadelcontecioccolato.com.
Email: info@villadelcontecioccolato.com 
Telephone: 621-2101 or 893-2575
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VillaDelContePh
 Twitter: www.twitter.com/VilladelConte